Multi-Interface Transponder Power Management for Long-Range Tracking
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional positional tags face limitations in battery life due to high power consumption for long-range communication, and low-power options are restricted to near-field proximity, limiting their effectiveness.
Innovation Solution
A multi-interface transponder device equipped with a first and second radio, supporting different radio access technologies, allows for power management strategies to extend battery life and enable long-range communication without sophisticated circuitry.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of stationary object
If long-range communication is implemented using traditional positional tags, then communication range is improved, but power consumption increases and battery life decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The communication system is segmented into two distinct radio interfaces: a first radio for near-field communication and a second radio for long-range communication. This segmentation allows the device to use appropriate communication methods for different ranges, avoiding the high power consumption of long-range radios when only near-field communication is needed, thus resolving the contradiction between communication range and power consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically switches between different radio interfaces based on communication needs. The processor activates the second radio only when long-range communication is required, and the first radio for near-field communication. This dynamic adaptation allows the device to optimize power consumption according to the actual communication range needed, rather than continuously consuming high power for long-range capabilities.
2Use of energy by moving object
If low-power radio interfaces are used for positional tracking, then power consumption is reduced and battery life is extended, but communication range is limited to near field
Solution Approach 1:
The positional tag device is designed with multi-functionality by incorporating both a first radio for near-field communication and a second radio for long-range communication. This universal design allows the single device to perform both low-power near-field tracking and high-power long-range communication, eliminating the need to choose between power efficiency and communication range based on the specific application requirements.
3Reliability
If sophisticated circuitry is used for long-range communication, then communication performance is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The communication circuitry is segmented into separate first and second radios, each optimized for specific communication ranges. The first radio uses simpler near-field communication circuitry when long-range capabilities are not needed, reducing overall device complexity and cost. The sophisticated second radio is only activated when long-range communication is required, avoiding the need for continuously complex circuitry.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of incorporating full sophisticated long-range communication circuitry permanently in the device, the system uses a simpler first radio for most operations and only activates the more complex second radio when long-range communication is actually needed. This partial action approach reduces average device complexity and cost while maintaining the capability for high-performance long-range communication when required.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A~2B
Figure 2C
AI summary
Methods for performing power management of a multi-interface transponder (MIT) device, e.g., such as positional tag device. The MIT device may transition between various power states, e.g., based on detected events, such as detecting movement of the MIT device, receiving a wakeup signal, receiving an indication of a transition in transportation mode, and/or detecting that the MIT device may be lost, such as based on a lack of contact with another device for more than a threshold period of time.